New Delhi: Bookworms are now no longer huddling in their favourite comfy spots; they are now tracing the real-life destinations and journeys their favourite characters undertook.
After years of making fun of those travelling to the desolate landscape of Nevada or the lush moors of New Zealand to recreate scenes from Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, respectively, literary travel is having its moment in the sun. Books are the new itinerary; genres range from memoirs and fantasies to even hoping to have a love story similar to the one in Emily Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation.
There is even a 12-day Croatia cruise inspired by Henry’s 2021 romance novel. EF Ultimate Break, a travel planning service, offers several such BookTok-inspired vacations. Book lovers can travel to real-life places which inspired works such as Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing, Sarah J Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses, Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, as well as JK Rowling’s Harry Potter.
“You can imagine following along with the story,” Alyssa Sands, the director of market development for the company, told The New York Times.
Even “readaways” or special reading camps where a group of readers travel to read together are gaining popularity.
According to Skyscanner’s 2026 travel trends report, 84 per cent of travellers have booked, or would consider, a trip inspired by literature. It added that hotel bookings via the “library” filter were up by 70 per cent globally.
Book-cations of the past
While the trend has been around for a while, it has recently become a top solo travel choice.
Legions of Jane Austen loyalists have been travelling to Bath every year for her anniversary. In fact, Bath’s Jane Austen Festival is the longest-running festival ever in the author’s honour.
It was founded in 2001 and has since grown into a 10-day programme. Thousands of readers travel to the small English town and parade around in Regency attire for over a week, while engaging in 19th-century activities as well as other events inspired by Austen’s novels.
Readers have also long been travelling to tour the “Shire houses” or the Hobbiton Movie Set in New Zealand, where director Peter Jackson shot his legendary trilogy based on the works of JRR Tolkien.
In White River, Ontario, every third weekend in August, the Winnie’s Hometown Festival is celebrated. The festival honours the beloved children’s character Winnie-the-Pooh by AA Milne.
In India, too, literary travel is increasing. The Indian Literary Tours connects authors, travel journalists, and readers to explore cross-cultural storytelling across the subcontinent.